Maine Horse Shooting Probed

Law enforcement authorities in Brunswick, Maine, are seeking whoever is responsible for shooting a 20-year-old Arabian horse while it grazed in its pasture.

Brunswick Police Chief Deputy Marc Hagan said that on Oct. 28 the horse's owner discovered the animal bleeding. A subsequent veterinary examination revealed that the horse had sustained three wounds, he said. Two wounds located at the horse in the top of its head grazed the animal's skin, Hagan relayed, while the third wound punctured the skin on the animal's side. Hagan said it was not possible to determine whether the horse had been shot three times, or whether the wounds were caused by a single shot from a small caliber shotgun.

"The horse was shot on the first day of bird hunting season, so this could have been a random shot," Hagan said.

An investigation into the incident is under way.

If caught, those responsible for the horse's shooting could face charges including animal cruelty and discharging a weapon near a home, Hagan said.

Anyone with information about the incident should call the Brunswick Police Department at 207/725-5521.